George westixghouse



Steam and Air-Brakes.

Patented Dec. 3l, 1872.

Eil

,IN VE Nga! Tllll GEORGE WESTIESGIIOIISE, JR., 0F IITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

lMPRGVEiVIENT lb! STEAM AND ER BRAKES.

. Specification-forining part of Letters Patent N0. Al-. dated December 3l, i872.

To all whom it may concern:

. following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference Lbeing had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 represents in outline my improved apparatus, as attached to the car-body. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views of the valves and valve-boxes employed in the apparatus of Fig. l.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My invention relates partly to an improved arrangement of devices for applying the brakes on railway cars by means otA a vacuum or atmospheric pressure. To this end a vacuum, partial or complete, is created, as occasion requires, or is created and kept up in one or more of the brake-pipes, or in a separate vacuumchamber, or in both, and where such a vacuum is kept up the construction is such that, by the accidental or intentional introduction ot' air into one of such vacuum-pipes, a communication will be opened from the other vacuumspaces to the brake cylinder, whereby the brakes will be applied. It also relates to the arrangement ot' devices for *communicating signals from any one part of the train to any other part in the same manner.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe its construction and inode oi' operation.

In Fig. l, A A' represent a double line of brake-pipes, extending from end to end of the car, and coupled to like lines of pipe on the contiguous car or cars. These I call the operating-pipes. B is a pipe also coupled at its ends by suitable couplings, as hereinafter described, to alike line of pipe on the contiguous car or cars. This I call the vacuum-pipe. In it a vacuum or partial vacuum is always to be preserved, when the train is running, by means oi any suitable pump, ejector, or 0th er exhausting apparatus,prei`erably arranged on the locomotive or tender. V is the vacuum-chamber, and C the brake-cylinder, the latter having a piston with connections thence to the brakeunder side of a levers, such that by means of a vacuum or partial vacuum therein the brakes will be applied to the wheels. If preferred, a flexible collapsing-cylinder may be used with a pistonstem attached togthe movable head. The operating-pipes A A are connected by a pipe, al, having a valve-case and double valve a. Frein this valve-case, at a pointbetween the valves, a pipe, c2, passes around past the brake-cylinder C and vacuum-chamber V, and opens into the pipe B. In it is the valve-case and double valve c1, with a branch pipe from between the valves to the brake-cylinder C. It also has a valve-case, c, containing a triple valve, with a branch pipe from between the two larger ot' the valves to the vacuum-chamber V. The largest of-these three valves is toward the vacuumpipe B. The construction oi the double valves a and c1 is shown in Fig. 2. The case m has a pipe connection at each end. The stemm1 has avalve, m2, at each end. The valves are preferably ot the kind known as wing-valves. They have a limited motion, and seat inwardly on the gum seats m3. This double valve is substantiatly such as is described in Letters Patent No. 124,415, granted [a :fri-1 itl-M to me March 5, 1872. The triple valve c, Fig. l, is shown in enlarged section in Fig. 5. It is shown in some of its features in the patent last named; but as to those features wherein it is novel, it will form a part of the subjectmatter oi another application. The case u has a pipe-connection at each end, and a side connection from between the two larger valves, which leads to the vacuum-chamber V. The stem al carries a large valve, a2, a smaller valve, a3, both of which seat inwardly on gum seats a", and a slide or ring valve, a5, which covers and uncovers a port, a6, leading to the external air. These three valves have a limited and common motion. The largest valve, u2, has a cup-shaped packing-ring, o, pressed out by a wire or other suitable spring, o. All the valves above referred to are arranged in the manner shown in outline in Fig. 1.

This apparatus, as already stated, is desinged to bring atmospheric pressure to bear on one side of the piston of a brake-cylinder by :means of a vacuum on the other side. Such vacuum is either created by the exhaustion oi' air from. some one of the pipes, or a vacuum having been previously formed in the pipes or vacuum-chamber, or both. The brake-cylinder is brought into communication with the vacuum-space of the vacuum-pipes or vacuumchamber, or both, by allowing atmospheric air to enter one of the pipes.

With reference to the drawing, this opera- I tion will be readily understood: If the air be exhausted from A, the lower valve of a will be closed, the upper one opened 5 the upper valve of c1 will be closed and the lower one opened; the air will be exhausted from G and the brakes be applied. If the air be exhausted from A', the operation will be the same, except that the upper valve of a will be closed and the lower one opened. If the air be exhausted from B, the triple valve in c will be drawn over so as to unseat the largest valve and close the middle valve, at the same time opening the port n, wherebyr external air will be admitted to the pipe c2, and thence to the brake-cylinder G, so as to release the brakes, ii'they are already applied. '.lhe. air in the vacuum-cham ber V will then compress the cup-shaped ring o, Fig. 3, of this largest valve, and pass out around it, so as to create a vacuum in the chamber. A vacuum more or less perfect being thus kept up in the chamber V, if it be desired to apply the brakes independently of the pipes AA', a cock may be turned to admit air into the pipe B at the locomotive or elsewhere. By this the largest valve in c will be closed, the middle valve opened, and the port a6 will be covered by the third valve. The vacuum in V will then be operative on the double valve in c1, so as to open the `upper and close the lower valve, and thus open communication with the brake-cylinder G. The air in it will be partially exhausted into the vacuum thus created, which will result in applying the brakes.

In the patent granted to me March 5, 1872, No. 124,404,1`described various means for applying the brakes, either intentionally or in case of accident, by openinga cock interposed between a reservoir of compresed air and the brake-cylinder. In the drawing I have shown such a cock,f, Fig. l, arranged in a pipe,f, which connects A or A with B. Any ot' the means referred to in the patent last named, and under any of the conditions there stated, may be employed to operate this cock. On

its being opened, air will pass from A or A to B,with the result above stated. Also, I arrange an alarm on the locomotive in connection with the pipe Al or A, so that when the cock f is turned the air passing back will operate such alarm or gage and communicate the desired signal, as set forth in the patent last named.

In the air-brakes now in common use compressed air is employed which operates by pressure. In each ofthe couplings, by which the brake -pipes are connected together a Valve is arranged, of such construction that when the couplings are united the valves will be unseated, so as to leave an open passageway for the iiow of the compressed air; and when the couplings are disconnected, the pressure of t-he air in the pipes back ofthe Valves will seat them, and thereby prevent the escape ofthe air.

By the term vacuum, as above used, I mean what is commonly known by that nameeither scribed may be Varied' somewhat in arrangement, and all variations which secure the same function with substantially the same means I include in my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the operating-pipes A A for creating or maintaining avacnum, and a vacuum brake-cylinder, C, of suitable construction, a double-ended, inwardly-seating valve a or c1, arranged to open communication with the pipe ot' greatest and cut oil communication with the pipe'of least Vacuum pressure, substantially as set forth.

2. The triple valve c, arranged relatively' to and in combination with the pipe B, vacuumchamber V, and brake-cylinder C, .substantially as set forth.

3. The subject matter of the last claim in combination with the operating-pipe Al or A and a connecting-pipe,f, with cock, j", substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, Jr., have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE VESTINGHGUSE, JR.

Vitnesses :f

A. S. NicHoLsoN, G. H. CHRISTY.

a total or partial Vacuum. The devices def 

